Community project lands pupil top prize
NDIBANISO High School pupil Bongile Sikani, 17, has been lauded a local hero in his community after he played an instrumental role of having taps installed in his village.
The installation formed part of Bongile’s community project with the International Leadership Academy (ILA) which requires pupils to identify and address needs in their communities.
ILA, headed by Teresita Ndibongwe, is a programme designed for schools aimed at developing young leaders from communities.
Pupils begin the four-year programme in Grade 8, first attending a week of camp and then other planned events throughout the year.
Participating schools are requested Uhadi Synth.
The Mdantsane-born musician released his debut album, Lwanda Gogwana: Songbook Chapter 1 in 2011. The album saw him receive three South African Music Awards nominations for best jazz album, best newcomer and male artist of the year.
Gogwana said Uhadi Synth was a classical jazz album rooted in indigenous Xhosa music.
“This album is strongly influenced by where I come from, which is the Eastern Cape and Xhosa culture.”
Since making his debut almost five years ago, Gogwana has gone on to work with the likes of songbird and The Voice SA judge Lira, Afro-pop duo Mafikizolo and jazz artist McCoy Mrubata, to name but a few.
The University of Cape Town jazz graduate said the album was also inspired by the works of Nofinish Dywili, whom he discovered during his studies in African Musicology at university.
“The Xhosa musical instrument uhadi is what Nofinishi Dywili played on her recordings that inspired me.
“It is also the instrument from which all harmonies on the compositions from Uhadi Synth have been based.
“The word synth comes from synthesizer, an electronic musical instrument, and it signifies my modern approach to the songs and my 21st-century musical brain. to send one teacher and four pupils. Teachers receive leadership training and also serve as vital support for pupils throughout the year.
The pupils are challenged to complete a community project in the six months following their week-long camp. Prizes are awarded at the end.
Bongile said he drew inspiration for his project after seeing children in Cwaru village playing with water. He noticed that some taps were broken and could not be opened. The teen said he took pictures of the broken taps and compiled a report, which he sent to the Raymond Mhlaba municipality.
After six months of travelling backwards and forwards from the village to the municipality – a round trip of 50km – officials came to the village, fixed the Kwedini, Qula Kwedini. ● Uhadi Synth broken taps and installed new ones.
“They were very happy because the taps had been an issue for a long time. I told them that I would fix the taps but they also now had a responsibility to take care of them,” Bongile said.
“I feared that officials would not take me seriously because of my age. I was sent up and down but I was determined that I would do this no matter what.”
Bongile still won the top prize despite missing the deadline.
Ndibongwe said although Bongile had not finished in time, she realised that his project was big and he had showed dedication and perseverance.
“I awarded Bongi with his prize, [a cellphone] at the morning assembly. After the assembly he asked, “can I keep working on my project?”
“The project was not about the deadline or the prize but catching a vision to serve others and then doing it,” Ndibongwe said. — Qula